Pick Your Poison
August 1st, 2020
Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs.
This is what Bucs rookie right tackle Tristan Wirfs is looking at: his first snap wearing a Bucs uniform will likely be facing All Pro defensive end Cam Jordan.
Or it could be former first-round draft pick Marcus Davenport.
Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians said Tuesday that he has no rookies penciled in as starters until he sees them play. Donovan Smith may force Arians’ hand.
We still do not know if Smith, the Bucs’ rock of dependability at left tackle, will opt-out of the NFL season after he declared on Instagram he is “not a lab rat.” Smith was concerned about possibly bringing “The Sickness” home to his infant daughter, who was born last month.
So Friday when Wirfs spoke to the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, he was asked about possibly flipping to left tackle if Smith opts-out.
Wirfs, in so many words, said, ‘whatever, just put me in coach.’
“It wouldn’t really matter to me, either or,” Wirfs said. “I did it last year – I was flipping back and forth in the middle of drives and everything. I’m not really concerned with that too much right now, more so just learning the playbook and getting my feet underneath me.”
Call Joe crazy if you want, but if Smith does bag the season, Joe would rather see Wirfs go up against Davenport. That is unlikely to happen only because Joe cannot see the Bucs jerking Wirfs around from right tackle to left and back again as a rookie.
Joe doesn’t care how good Wirfs is supposed to be, a rookie with zero preseason games going up against one of the game’s best edge rushers scares the living daylights out of Joe. And especially since park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Bucs quarterback Tom Brady is about mobile as a dishwasher.
Missing preseason games? Wirfs seemed like a rock of level-headedness when he sort of shrugged about no preseason games.
“We didn’t really have preseason games” at Iowa,” Wirfs said. “We just had camp and then started playing.”
Wirfs is confident trying to block Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett will get him ready for the Saints in Week 1.
If Jordan regularly gets to Brady or at least pressures him, that just about negates the downfield passes Arians loves so much and the Bucs execute so effectively.
It’s like an ugly domino effect when you watch hot babe after hot babe leave the bar and what you are left with requires more alcohol.
August 1st, 2020 at 12:08 am
No doubt, been there,lol
August 1st, 2020 at 12:26 am
🙂
August 1st, 2020 at 12:29 am
Establishing the run, staying out of obvious passing downs, not playing from behind and utilizing the checkdown will go a long ways towards minimizing the effect Jordan could have against Wirfs. Its complimentary football and I’m sure Brady will be well aware of Jordan of Wirfs is left alone with him. Just hope Donovan Smith gets on the field.
August 1st, 2020 at 12:30 am
Establishing the run, staying out of obvious passing downs, not playing from behind and utilizing the checkdown will go a long ways towards minimizing the effect Jordan could have against Wirfs. Its complimentary football and I’m sure Brady will be well aware of Jordan of Wirfs is left alone with him. Just hope Donovan Smith gets on the field.
August 1st, 2020 at 2:58 am
Let’s just see how things go, nothing is going to be normal. Myself, I just bought a 3-point harness for my desk chair
August 1st, 2020 at 4:29 am
Aren’t Rankins and Jordan questionable for Bucs game week 1 with injuries?
August 1st, 2020 at 7:26 am
You can tell Wirfs is a very humble player like Vita Vea…..
He may become one of the best players in Bucs history………..just you watch!!!!!
August 1st, 2020 at 7:28 am
I still cannot get over how athletic this kid is too……
August 1st, 2020 at 7:37 am
We can move the ball quite nicely without the downfield passing game…..because the inevitable turnover will be all but eliminated.
If Wirfs can perform well against Shaq & JPP….he’ll do fine.
August 1st, 2020 at 8:26 am
Tristan will either man up or he won’t. But most likely he is going to get schooled, I mean without any practice against a NFL level player in a game, and Steve Jordan is a stud. Hopefully Tristan reminds us of Ali Marpet, because everyone saw right away the game was not to big for Ali, he held his own. But we are talking about the COVID 19 NFL. Most likely 3 step drops by Brady will be neccesary much of the time, for this team to function against the Saints. 6 rings or not, no QB throws well with defensive players in their face and knocking them around like a rag doll and landing on them 25 times a game. Anybody remember the hit Joe Burt of the Giants put on Joe Montana in 1985 in the playoffs, Burt slamed him, and Montana was helped off the field with a couple of noodle legs and seen until the next season in an NFL game. Not what we want to see. At least they should be able to keep people from coming up the middle on Brady. Which QB’s hate. Brady’s accuracy mid range and to the RB’s should be a staple diet regardless of whats been said publically about Bruces style of risk it no bisquit. We know they are going to deep, but lets not forget that one of the greatest surgeons to throw a football in the history of the NFL is the new sheriff in town. It is going to be fun when we watch Brady carve up some teams like a Thanksgiving Turkey. LOL Somebody please pass the gravy lol. Go Bucs It is still a good day in Tampa Bay!!
August 1st, 2020 at 8:41 am
Gronk is a blocking beast. Put him besdies the “rook” when the play call dictates it.
August 1st, 2020 at 8:43 am
Correction Steve Jordan is the old Vikings TE and is the father of Cam Jordan. And the Game that Burt knocked out Montana was the 1986 Playoffs. So again the Bucs will they will not play stupid football and get Brady killed, 1 step, 3 step 5 step ball out, bombs and chunk plays, and repeat. There is no way this coaching staff is going to serve up Brady on a platter to get him knocked out. They are not that stupid, regarless of NFL talking heads and their conjecture about how Brady will operate in Bruces offense, its going to be short and mid range and then Brady throwing daggers. Their running run should average around 4 yards a carry. So get ready to enjoy the season Buc fans, that is, if there is a season. Go Bucs
August 1st, 2020 at 11:25 am
You will slow him down by running the ball right at him. After Jordan has taken himself right out of the play several times he’ll start peaking in the backfield. Then you can use the screen pass to keep him unbalanced.
August 1st, 2020 at 12:19 pm
It don’t matter what Aints do they getting pressure hello 3 step drop ! 12 personnel watch out guys we have elite QB playing now
August 1st, 2020 at 12:45 pm
In all fairness, it’s not like Donovan Smith faired real well against Cam Jordan.
No hate here, just thought I’d bring it up.
August 1st, 2020 at 1:53 pm
I dont know Joe….i seen some crazy moving dishwashers that jerk left right right left right left up left right.
August 1st, 2020 at 2:48 pm
Joe, Wirfs I believe will be Licht’s best O line draft pick. Yes better then Marpet, or Smith. His draft status says that should happen. You wouldn’t be asking a kid like Cappa to adapt. You have a three year starter who played tackle at a high level against good players for good program. He can do it if need be.
August 1st, 2020 at 5:04 pm
Just like I expect there to be full slate of games … until there isn’t, I expect Smith to play … until he doesn’t.
I am going to wring my hands about what does happen, if at all, and not about what doesn’t happen.
That first game with New Orleans should be a great challenge no matter what!
Wirfs sounds like he has the character needed. Now let’s give him a chance and find out how fast can can progress.
August 1st, 2020 at 7:24 pm
Cannon
“In all fairness, it’s not like Donovan Smith faired real well against Cam Jordan.
No hate here, just thought I’d bring it up.”
No hate there Cannon. Cam Jordan is not just Pro Bowl he’s a first team All Pro.
It’s not like anybody really fares very well against him.
I agree with Jaymiss….Wirfs or anybody needs help against Jordan and we now have one of the best blocking TE’s in the league.
TB12 gets the ball out quickly and if he senses Jordan is beating us regularly he react accordingly…throwing the ball away when there is no play.
August 2nd, 2020 at 7:51 pm
After he has gone up against JPP and Shaq multiple times the coaches will know what they have in Wirfs before he sees any real action.